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dude ranch horses Tag

Normally when I use the term, “the girls”, I am referring to my mini-me’s Maggie and Ella. But these days at the ranch that term is used for the gals out in the pasture- the new breeding stock for Vista Verde Ranch. The three young ones- Houston, Patty and Little Buck stuck around all summer learning the ropes of being ridden and how to behave to Terry’s standards. The older gals- Chex, Stella, Rachael, Mary Jane and Sally all headed off to meet the man of their dreams in hopes of having some cute little foals on the ground next spring. All of them just returned to the ranch and all but Sally came back in foal, so we’re hoping things continue well and we have 4 cute little babies before next summer. Along the way, we also picked up Gimlet, a little weanling (just left her mama for the big world) who will be worked into our herd as she grows up. This is one situation where being barefoot and pregnant is a pretty sweet life! Hopefully you get to meet these gals soon, they are as sweet as can be. And, even better, in a couple years you might be riding one of their kiddos.

Yesterday was a fun day at the ranch. Ok, most days are pretty fun, but it’s always a bit more special to celebrate a ranch holiday.

The morning started out with our regular orientation ride, as one would expect with a horseback riding vacation. The guests got a chance to get to know their horses, learn a little more about where we’re going this week with their horsemanship skills, and get some basic tools for understanding how to communicate better with their horse.

Lunch was a festive affair with the Colorado Lodge decorated in red, white and blue. Compliments to the tireless Sarah and her crew for all their efforts to make it look so good!

After lunch out on the deck, we held the first ever Vista Verde Ranch egg toss competition. It was a fierce and messy battle, but one by one each team was eliminated. Some were a bit more messy on their exit than others. After finishing, the guys had to take it one step further, so both Dace and Ben had to take turns trying to lob an egg over the pond to Clay, who was part of the winning team. Hey, when else is it socially acceptable to throw raw eggs around?

Everyone headed out for a variety of activities- riding, biking, fishing, hiking…and even some just relaxing by the pool. We gathered up again at the corral later in the afternoon to paint the white horses with red and blue paint. The festivities capped off just before dinner with the star spangled stampede. Hard to describe the fun of this annual 4th of July event at the ranch, but everyone should have the chance to witness it at some point.

It’s great to be able to celebrate being an American while vacationing at a dude ranch. We wish you all a wonderful Independence Day, and continue to appreciate those who serve our country as they allow us to live here and share this place with others.